Folding boat



A. S. LEWIS FOLDING BOAT July 3o, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25. 1961 INVENTOR. ARNOLD LEWIS mw ATTO/FW? July 30, 1963 A. LEWIS FOLDING BOAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 23. 1961 ARNOLD LEWIS' Y i @L ATTP/Vf'y States This invention concerns an improvement in foldable boats.

It has been known heretofore to provide air Itubes at the sides of collapsible boats to increase stability and buoyancy. The expanded tubes keep the cover of the boat in a taut condition and act as shock absorbers. They also serve to stiffen the body structure. A diiculty 'and disadvantage which has been experienced with such tubes is that they rub against the rigid sides of the boat. Due to the constant chafing of the tubes, leaks develop in the walls of the tubes. The present invention is di-A rected at overcoming this difficulty and at providing an improvement in the body structure of a folding boat.

According to the invention, corrugated, resilient spacer pads or strips are interposed between the air tubes and the rigid sides of the boat. These pads or strips take up the stresses and strains in use and prevent shifting and chating of the tubes.

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a collapsible boat including air tubes securely disposed within a fabric boat covering with resilient spacers interposed between the tubes and sides of the boat.

Another object is to provide resilient pads or strips which exert continuous pressure upon expanded air tubes holding a flexible covering taut in a boat, so that the pads or strips take up any slack developing in the covering due to seepage of air from the tubes.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a -top plan view of a collapsible boat ernbodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the boat of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional View on an enlarged scale taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a pad or strip employed in the boat according to the invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another collapsible boat embodying the invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, there is shown a collapsible boat 10 having a plurality of cross ribs 12. Side walls 14 extending the length of the boat are secured at the lateral bights 16 of the curved arms 24, 26 of the ribs. A floor 18 is disposed at the bottom of the boat under bights 17 of the ribs. Coaming strips 20, 22 extend partly the length of the boat at the tops of arms 24, 26 of the ribs. A waterproof fabric covering is secured by rivets or screws 28 to the strips. The covering extends around the sides of the boat and underneath longitudinal rails 29 at the bottom ofthe boat. Bars 31 space the ribs 12 from the floor 18.

A pair of collapsible, inilatable rubber or plastic tubes 30, 32 are positioned outwardly of the side Walls 14. In accordance with the invention, interposed between the rigid side walls and the tubes 30, 32 are resilient spacer pads or strips 34. Each pad or strip has a corrugated face 35 as clearly shown in FIG. 4. The rear side 38 of the pad or strip is flat and placed loosely 3,599,624 Patented July 30, 1963 lee against the adjacent wall 14. The pads or strips may be made of fibrous material, sponge rubber or foam plastic material or other suitable material. At spaced intervals along the pads or strips 34, rods or strings 37 are fastened to the pads or strips 34 and have their ends anchored in any suitable manner to the coaming lstrips 20 and 22 and to the rails 29 whereby the pads or strips 34 are held against the side walls 14.

When tubes 30, 32 are inated with air through valves 36, FIG. 1, the tubes expand and compress the resilient pads or strips. The tubes hold the fabric covering under tension in a taut condition and by reason of the pads are spaced from the side walls. The boat is subjected to considerable stresses and strains when in use. Heretofore the tubes would shift in position and become chafed due to contacting and constant rubbing on the rigid side walls 14. In the present invention, the pads or strips 34 prevent the tubes from contacting the walls and consequent chafing and thus increase their useful life. Furthermore, the pads grip the -tubes frictionally preventing them from shifting out of their longitudinal positions at the sides of the boat. If any air leakage should occur,

the resilient pads or strips will expand Ito take up `the slack in the covering and hold it taut until more air can be pumped into the tubes.

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 5, the boat 1.63 is similar to boat 10; corresponding parts are identically numbered. In this form of the invention, two resilient pads or strips 34a and 34b are loosely placed back-to-back at each side of the boat between the tubes 30, 32 and the side walls 14. In this construction, the corrugated faces of the pads or strips face both the tubes and the rigid side walls, and the at faces of the pads or strips 34a and 34D slidably contact each other. The rods or strings 37 the ends of which are anchored to the pads, coaming strips 20, 22 `and rails 29 hold the entire assembly in a stable condition.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, there is shown another modied form of 'the invention in which a trimaran boat 10b has collapsible pneumatic pontoon outriggers y40 supported on the ends of braces 42. The braces are preferably aluminum angle -bars to which are secured intermediate their ends by rivets or bolts 44 short angle brackets 46. The upper free ends 48 of the ribs 12a tare abutted to inner sides of the brackets. At the outer sides of the brackets there are disposed coaming strips S0 to which the upper edges of covering 25a in any suitable manner is secured. Bolts `52 and wing nuts S4 detaohably secure the brackets to the ribs. Tubes 30, 32 are disposed inside the covering 25a in the same manner as shown in FIG. 3 and resilient spacer pads or strips 34 are similarly mounted between the 'tubes and rigid side walls 14 of the boat frame.

The spacer pads or strips 34 4may each be composed of a number of aligned sections or lengths if desired.

Detachable deck boards 56 and 58 extend across the braces 42 at the sides of the boat masts 60, 62 supporting shrouds 64, 66 may be mounted in holes 68, 70 on the braces 67, 65 respectively.

'Dhe ydouble corrugated spacer arrangement 34a, 34h shown in FIG. 5 may also be used Ifor the boat 10b in place of the single pads 34 shown in FIG. 7.

Ilhe invention insures a longer, trouble-free life for `the collapsible boats by prolonging the useful lives of the iniiated tubes. 'Ilhe presence of the pads increases the shock absorbing capacity of `the stily `expanded tubes, improves stability of the boat by preventing shifting of Ithe tubes, and provides reserve expansible tensioning means for the illexible outer covering in the event the tubes deate.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that 3 I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modiiioations may be made Within the scope of t1he invention `as defined in fthe appended claims.

Having thrus described my invention, what I claim'as new, and desire .to secure by United States Letters Patent I1. In a oldable boat, a frame having a plurality of substantially U-sliaped cross ribs and substantially vertical parallel side Walls carried by bights of lthe ribs,` collapsible, inflatable and detachable air tubes extending outside of and along said side walls, spacer means interposed between the tubes and side walls to prevent shitting and cliang of .the tubes on said side walls, and a Vflexible covering enclosing the boat frame and tightly stretched around the tubes when the tubes are inaited with air, said spacer means being resilient pads lhaving corrugated faces juxtaposed to the tubes, a plurality of spaced cross braces detaohably secured to upper ends of the ribs, deck boards extending transversely over the braces, and inflatable pontoons detachably carried at outer ends of the cross braces, and rods holding the pads in place.

2. ln a foldable boat, a frame having a plurality of substantially U-shaped cross ribs and substantially vertical parallel side walls carried by later-al bights of the' ribs, collapsible, inflatable and detachable air tubes extending outside of and along said side Walls, spacer means interposed ybetween the tubes and side walls to prevent shifting if `and -chang of the tubes on said side walls, a exible covering enclosing rtlle boat frame `and tightly stretched around the tubes when the tubes are inilated with air, said spacer means being resilient pads, fwith corrugated faces, a plurality of spaced cross braces `detaclrabiy secured to upper ends of rtihe ribs, inflatable pontoons detachably carried at outer `ends of the cross braces, with detachable deck boards extending transversely 'of the braces and laterally spaced from said covering, said covering having coamirig strips secured at said upper ends of the ribs to detachable brackets carried by said braces, and rods holding the pads in place.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,495,190 Stewart Jan. 17, 1950 2,585,599 Tcllet'ohet i Feb. 12, 1952 Y 2,642,590 Hermann June 23, 1953 3,000,021 Lang Sept. 19, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,214 Great Britain 1912 126,709 Switzerland July 2, 1928 809,918 France Dec. 19, 1936 529,113 Great Britain Nov. 14, 1940 1,115,167 France Dec. 26, -1955 1,010,855 Germany June 19, 1957 1,039,871 Germany Sept. 25, 1958 

1. IN A FOLDABLE BOAT, A FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED CROSS RIBS AND SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PARALLEL SIDE WALLS CARRIED BY BIGHTS OF THE RIBS, COLLAPSI ABLE, INFLATABLE AND DETACHABLE AIR TUBES EXTENDING OUTSIDE OF AND ALONG SAID SIDE WALLS, SPACER MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE TUBES AND SIDE WALLS TO PREVENT SHIFTING AND CHAFING OF THE TUBES ON SAID SIDE WALLS, AND A FLEXIBLE COVERING ENCLOSING THE BOAT FRAME AND TIGHTLY STRETCHED AROUND THE TUBES WHEN THE TUBES ARE INFLATED WITH AIR, SAID SPACER MEANS BEING RESILIENT PADS HAVING CORRUGATED FACES JUXTAPOSED TO THE TUBES, A PLURALITY OF SPACED CROSS BRACES DETACHABLY SECURED TO UPPER ENDS OF THE RIBS, DECK BOARDS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OVER THE BRACES, AND INFLATABLE PONTOONS DETACHABLY CARRIED AT OUTER ENDS OF THE CROSS BRACES, AND RODS HOLDING THE PADS IN PLACE. 